Our Recordings

The Capricornus Project $20

The Beggars' Songbook 
$10

Gorgeous sacred works by Samuel Capricornus for voices, 2-5 viols, organ and theorbo. Kapellmeister at the Württemberg court in Stuttgart, Capricornus wrote numerous compositions for voices and viols, some of which are recorded for the first time on this CD. His music is for the most part little-known, untapped repertoire that connects the 17th-century German musical lineage from Schütz to Bach.

Sarah Mead, director - Jolle Greenleaf, soprano               
Molly Quinn, soprano - Elise Groves, soprano                 
Martin Near, countertenor  - Jason McStoots, tenor
Sumner Thompson, baritone - Paul Guttry, bass
Karen Burciaga, treble viol - Anne Legêne, treble viol
James Williamson, tenor viol - Rebekah Ahrendt, bass viol
Jane Hershey, bass viol - Rosalind Brooks Stowe, bass viol
Anne Trout, violone - Frances Conover Fitch, organ
Catherine Liddell, theorbo

​Recorded at Futura Studio, 2015

This program explores music-making during the Dutch revolt against Phillip II of Spain. The rebellion, which spanned 1568-1648, led to the birth of the first republic in Europe and the beginnings of a national identity for the Netherlands. The Geuzenliedboek ("Beggars' Songbook") was a popular compilation of political songs; Valerius’ Neder-landtsche Gedenck-clanck was a history of the war interspersed with songs set to popular melodies from all over Europe. Dutch songs of political turmoil are performed alongside works by van Eyck, Sweelinck, Cabezon, Ortiz and Camphuysen.

Karen Burciaga - treble viol
Jane Hershey - tenor viol
Anne Legêne - treble & bass viol
​Colleen McGary-Smith - bass viol
James Williamson - tenor viol & tenor voice
Michael Barrett - tenor & recorder
Daniel Meyers - recorder, percussion & baritone
Matthew Wright - lute & Renaissance guitar

Recorded live in concert November 2014
​Download texts

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The Capricornus Project

Our sincere thanks go to everyone who helped fund the Capricornus CD!

Our donors at $50+
Barbara Allen
Isaac Bao
Stephen Barbour
Lucy Bardo and Ben Harms
David Barnert
Bryan Bingham
Martha Bixler
Beth Craig
Eric Darling
Eldert de Jonge
Jan Elliott
Frank Epstein
Trudy Fadding
Jane, JoHanna, Will & Adira Flacks
Everett & Mary Gendler
Harry Grabenstein
Jane W. Hyman
Daniel Johnson
Paul R. Johnson
Don & Linda Jordan
David Keller & Mary Maxwell
Teri Kowiak
Laue Capital Management
Sandy Laue
Petra Legêne

Michael Lynn
Michelle Manto
Michael Marcus 
Jim Monsonis
Mariken Palmboom
Matthew Parkes
Pilates in the Berkshires
Alice Robbins
Diane and Jeff Rossman
Nanneke Schaap
Will Seltzer
Carl & Claudia Shuster
Martin Silberberg
Scott Sminkey
Alice Spatz
Kaya Stern-Kaufman
Mei Lin Turner
Msgr Dirk van Leeuwen
Tricia van Oers & Bob Reimer
Adrian van Zon
Annette Vielmuth
Russell Wagner
Marilyn Walter
June Williams